CARCASSONNE
Day 8: A canal and a fortress
This day we were on the bus again, headed to Carcassonne, our only one night stop on the tour. For lunch we paused our journey on le Canal du Midi. This is part of the waterway that connects the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
As we approached Carcassone we pulled off the highway and got a good view of the citadel from afar (header picture) then on to our hotel at the base of the structure. After settling in we climbed a short but steep walkway to meet our local guide at the entrance gate. She walked us around, explaining how this fortress has been in use since the Roman times. I was amazed at how complete it was and could really get a sense of what it would have been like here in the middle ages. Yes, I had to look past the tacky tourist stores and see the beautiful old structures but could imagine knights and damsels instead of phone toting tourists.
We had a couple free hours to explore before meeting up for dinner. I checked out the beautiful basilica in the fortress and took my time back to the hotel.
After dinner Patrick took us on a walk through the deserted passageways and streets to get an unforgettable view of the citadel lit up for the night. We stopped on a bridge and had a glass of "bubbles" in the glow of the lights.
This evening was one of the most special of the tour, We started off with a famous dish from the area. Cassoulet is a peasant dish of beans and meat cooked for 3 days into a succulent stew. The chef came out in his red robes and made quite the show presenting the pot! Very fun and tasty.
